Alton Sterling: TASERED First, THEN Shot and Killed

Just finished watching (on Democracy Now) the interview of the shop owner who filmed a portion of the incident which resulted in Mr. Sterling being killed in Baton Rouge.  We don't know the full story yet; details have been a bit slow in coming.  Following is what we do know from the eye witness account and the film.

The shop owner and Sterling were friends of six or so years.  The owner allowed Mr. Sterling to sell DVDs in front of the shop.  For some unknown reason, the police showed up, grabbed Sterling (why is not known at this point), slammed him onto the hood of a vehicle, backed off, and TASERed him.  That was not filmed because apparently it happened rather quickly.  Then two cops pinned him to the ground.  That's when the shop owner started filming.  Next, one of the officers yells "Gun!", pulls out his weapon, and shoots point blank, killing Mr. Sterling...after he had been TASERed.  Again, after he had been TASERed.  I've yet to hear or see that bit of info on the Corporate Media...not even the allegation that's what happened.

After that, Mr. Flahti (the shop owner) is detained for hours & hours (4 of them in a hot police car), his cell phone is seized, his shop is commandeered for about six hours, and all his shop video/security equipment is removed...without him ever being presented with a Search Warrant.

SIDE NOTES:

Being TASERED totally incapacitates a person.  People have died from that.  Some years ago, the total number of TASER-induced deaths was 12;  I think it's up to 20-something now in this country.  After the very first death, TASERs should have been banned.

Eric Garner, the NY man who died two years ago as a result of a police choke-hold, was approached by police because he was selling loose cigarettes on the street.  The guy who filmed that incident is the only one going to jail (on unrelated charges, after being harassed by police for two years).  He's not Black.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, who most police surely must admire, has stated more than once:  filming police doing their job in public is perfectly legal and guaranteed by the Constitution.  And yet, some police berate, harass, and even abuse people who film them in public...especially when the cops involved are being brutal.
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As I stated in the piece immediately before this one, all these incidents are not only about racial prejudice.  The Oligarchs are cracking down on the "little people".  Whether it's political, economic, environmental, or anything else, dissent will not be tolerated...and those who practice it either will be marginalized or crushed.  Such is life in the USA today, the Land of the Free.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Is it Race or Class? Or Both?

I get suspicious whenever the Corporate Media and/or the Fed Gov't promote some idea...over & over & over.  In this case, it's the supposed racial divide here in the USA.  Yes, some people of all "races" are prejudiced; but I don't believe the problem is as massive as we're being told.

The current unrest is not primarily about Race.  I'm sure there are some bad-apple racist cops; however, I suspect the following is mostly playing out worldwide--

Cops are much like soldiers:  THEY HAVE ORDERS from higher up.  The Oligarchy's 

political corruption, economic & financial failures, empire hegemony, & intolerance of 

democracy are no longer being tolerated by the People...who are demonstrating on a wide variety of fronts (racial, economic, environmental, immigration, incarceration/prison reform, 

political, police brutality, etc.).  The Powers-That-Be are clamping down on all protests; 

they no longer tolerate protests of any kind...be they group or individual.  [Once in a great while, we see an exception 

to that general statement.]

The Oligarchy is attempting to put "the little people", "the bewildered herd", "the ignorant masses", "the spectators" [all terms from a few "Liberals" and "Libertarians" of the past] in their place.  This is a Class War of epic proportions...the monitoring of essentially everyone, a 

crackdown on demonstrations, no tolerance for arguments from anyone, a massive transfer of wealth, white-collar criminality by the 

Super-Rich, war for profit, privately-run prisons, privatization of public infrastructure & other 

resources, a War on Cash, the hollowing-out of the Middle Class, and on & on.

As Warren Buffett said, "We are in a Class War in this country, and unfortunately, my class 

is winning.".  He's correct.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well